To think I'm not starving my wedding guests.

[MBlaze]

Helpful Mumsnetters, please let me know if this is enough food for a wedding. I think it's more than enough, but DP thinks we need to add more food!

Timings are approximate...

2pm - Ceremony
3pm-5pm - Crepe or ice cream van, canapes (3 each) and drinks
6pm - 3 Course dinner (Vegan and Gluten-free options so nobody should go hungry.)
7ish? - Cake after dinner
9pm - Cheese board with bread, crackers, grapes, figs etc

Surely that's enough food considering the ceremony is at 2 and people can have breakfast beforehand?

DP thinks we should provide more than a cheeseboard after dinner and should hire a fish and chip/burrito van or ask the caterers for something more substantial. We aren't having any evening only guests, so I really don't think people will need another meal 3 hours after a 3 course meal.

What do you think?

We had a cheese and pate boards with pickles at our wedding (for 150), served it with biscuits and French bread. I personally hate evening buffets and always a bit suspicious of semi warm quiche and sausage rolls.

This was 18 years ago, and it went down an absolute treat.

I think it sounds amazing and loads of food!

I can't believe any adult who has ever been to a wedding in their life before would not realise that they won't be getting lunch at a 2pm ceremony! It's clear that that part will last until 3, and who eats lunch at 3pm?

Personally I don't particularly love crepes, but even so, 6pm is a normal time for a meal, so really not a problem.

I read some of the 'what have you eaten' threads on mumsnet and feel greedy in comparison to how little some eat, and then the comments on this one that two meals at home before the wedding, crepes, canapes and 3 course meal, cake and cheeseboard are nowhere near enough! Bonkers.

Op, I think it sounds lovely. Stick to your current plans.

My Wedding Day was a long day so we provided lots of food.

The wedding was at 11am so we assumed people would have had breakfast before arriving.

At 12pm we started sending round fancy doughnuts, cupcakes and canapés and we had bowls of crisps scattered around the bar area.

We had the 3 course meal at 2pm.

At 4.30pm we bought out a huge sweet cart which me and DH had created ourselves because we refused to pay for the one the venue provided as it was so poncy that it wouldn’t even have stretched to 10 guests.

At 6pm we cut the cake and people came up for however much they wanted.

We served an evening meal at 8pm where we had three options of hot food.

I believe keeping guests fed is a huge part of providing a good experience for your guests. People feeling hungry and morning to each other about it is not something you want going on. Things like feeling hungry will impact on how they remember your wedding day.

I went to a wedding once that was at 1pm so nobody had eaten before hand) and try sit down meal wasn’t until 6pm and we were all starving!! That wedding was over three years ago but the lack of food is what comes to mind instantly when I look back on it.

As somebody said previously - you can never have too much food at a wedding!!!

For a 2pm ceremony I'd expect to be sat down for 'the main event' by 4pm at the latest. What exactly are you planning to do between the ceremony and 6pm....way too long by my reckoning (I am a bit of a long wedding phobic, DH and I had drinks & canapes then we we left...).

I agree! Eat a small lunch before a 2pm ceremony!! Who waits till 3 for lunch? And if you do you can't expect someone to serve dinner at 3pm!

Lots of comments on here saying people should know the main meal would be late and would have lunch beforehand. Or need to see a Doctor if they can't go 3-6pm without food. That wasn't the case at the wedding I attended and lots of people were eating crisps and peanuts from the hotel bar before 6pm. I, an adult who attends plenty of weddings, also neglected lunch due to travelling and getting ready and the expectation that there would be plenty of food post ceremony. You are providing enough, it actually sounds fab, just tell people the timings so they can be prepared. Especially those with kids.

Sounds like plenty - we had similar timings and no one touched the buffet or cake - all wasted!

Also makes me laugh that half of mumsnet say they only eat 3 square meals a day and never snack. But if you're at a wedding you can't last 3 hours between unlimited crepes and a 3 course dinner and then cake and then cheese!

Sounds lovely but the 3-5pm slot with thee canapés per person stands out. I'd want more canapés that that (esp if they are lovely) not to mention hungrier/bigger people ... I wouldn't go for the sweet stuff at all, sorry.
How about some halloumi sliders, smoked salmon sarnies & veggie coctail sausages as well?

I'd ditch the crepes and ice-cream and up the canapes. 6-8 pp. If you are having three courses and cake I don't understand the need for cheese and crackers lezmss than two hours after a three course meal. Bacon rolls and a vegan/gluten gree alternative after 10 if you must.

I don't think I was very clear in my OP - the drinks reception is only 3-5 and then people would be seated for dinner. I put 6 as the time for dinner, as I assume that's how long it would take to serve food for 100.

I'm surprised at how many people don't like crepes! I thought they were very popular.

Will go with fish and chip cones or afternoon tea at the drinks reception and just stick with the cheeseboard in the evening (and serve the cake with it)

Just as more background info, we are 25 so everyone at the wedding will be quite young, all know each other and there's only a couple of children. So I don't think they will mind the 2 hour drinks reception. They can also walk around the grounds of the venue, have their own photos taken etc

Yes I would make them aware the meal isnt until 6pm. We had a 1 ish wedding to go to , that was 2 hours from home. The meal wasn't served till nearly 6 and we were all starving pissed. Being in a hotel in the country meant w couldn't pop out for nibbles

They can also walk around the grounds of the venue, have their own photos taken etc

Is there a wet weather option?

K.I.S.S......'keep it simple, stupid'.......is a military acronym. Please, please think of your guests. Your day will go by in a flash (regardless of the timings), many of your guests will be desperate to 'arrive', 'do the right thing' and 'leave'....... They will not be as 'immersed' in the day and many will be thinking of getting home because of babysitting, dog sitting, elderly relative sitting etc, etc........just saying!

It's not so much the amount, more the timings and type of food.

Ice cream and crepes are messy- not a problem at the local park, but a PITA when dressed up in wedding outfits with handbags and glasses of champagne to balance at the same time.

Three canapes per person is too insubstantial when the wait for dinner is so long- OK if dinner is coming within an hour or so, but you're going to end up with pissed people.

Would there be a possibility of some kind of easy hand-held buffet food after the ceremony? Or do the chip cones then?

I'd love a cheeseboard in the evening, but then I'm veggie- perhaps offer another snack option alongside?

Olga - well, they probably wouldn't want to walk around the grounds but we can hold the drinks reception inside the building instead of the "rose garden". Less options for sure, but I have my fingers crossed it won't rain as it's a July wedding

I think guests expect the traditional wedding breakfast after the ceremony rather than an ice cream van. Most won't have had lunch.

If there are 100 guests they should be served withing 10-15 mins of being seated unless you only have one waitress. There need to be 4-5.

We've heard about all the snacks but what are you serving for dinner?

MBlaze - my July wedding day was a wash out..........

intertia but crepes and icecrem are at the same time as 3 canapes surely all that is substantial enough?

Crepes is totally like a lunch! If we’re talking fillings like cheese and spinach and such like I cat see the problem, apart from the fact that reading this thread is making me hungry!

Why not have the ceremony at 330 and knock the mingling down a bit? Supper at 530, meal will take way longer than you think and people will be sober enough but more relaxed to socialise in the evening.

I was at a wedding recently up country. Similar setting.

Anyway, the hiatus interlude was 2.5 hours. There were canapes (DEMOLISHED IN A MINUTE), and mini sandwiches, ALL GONE TOO. And then cocktail sausages and sausage rolls. DEMOLISHED. And some veggie options also eaten as they are lovely too! Veggies, get in there quick!

The time between ceremony and main meal is important. People are drinking and starving and welcome some sustenance! It is also a nice time to meet and mingle (if you can keep your paws off the food!)

Not everyone is in a position to stop and have a snack on the way either.

There's always a break for drinks and photos. Would always expect a big break before dinner. The guests are all young and won't have too many expectations. I'm sure most will be happy with crepes and drinks!, why is everyone saying 3 canapés isn't enough!! There will be a crepe van!!

Crepes, cheeseboard, canapes . . . usually a total nightmare for the lactose-intolerant.